August 30, 2009

Burma SuperStar – A Fresh and Crunchy Cast

B and I went to the Oakland location of Burma SuperStar since it supposedly has the shortest wait time and has the same quality as the San Francisco location (they don’t take reservations and often have 1-2 hour waits). I was extremely hungry and concerned by the crowd outside the restaurant, but we were able to get seated after 30 minutes.

I’ve never been to a Burmese restaurant before nor have I tried the food, so I can’t comment on the authenticity (interestingly, this place was filled with a mix of granola-looking parents and hipster patrons). The interior is more open and modern than I had expected. However, it’s REALLY loud inside the restaurant. I could barely hear B, who was just sitting across the small table from me.

Tea Leaf Salad – This is their most popular dish, especially after it was featured on the Food Network. It is unlike anything I’ve had before. The fermented tea leaves and lemon juice give it a unique flavor, while the sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, split yellow peas, peanuts, and fried garlic add a powerful blend of textures and tastes. I enjoyed this salad more after taking out some of fried garlic (there was way too much and it overpowered the dish). It was quite hearty for a salad without any meat or cheese.
Rainbow Salad – Our waiter quickly listed all 22 ingredients of the salad before he mixed it table-side. Despite the many ingredients (including four types of noodles, green papaya, tofu, onions, dried shrimp), the flavors were not complex at all. I could only taste the noodles and spicy tamarind sauce, which I didn’t mind because I enjoy the tart and spicy flavors of tamarind – this salad reminded me of some dishes found in Vietnamese cuisine. I liked the slippery texture of the noodles and found flavors to be vibrant and refreshing.
Burmese Curry with Lamb – I really liked the lamb curry at first. The lamb was very tender, and the potatoes weren’t overcooked and mushy like they are in many other curries. However, the gamey flavor of the lamb became progressively overwhelming after a few bites. I’ve never had such gamey lamb before. Neither B nor I could stomach very much of this dish. The tomato sauce was also way too salty.
Black Rice Pudding – This dessert was more like a sticky rice than pudding. The coconut ice cream was sweet and thick, softening the firm black rice. The almond slivers added a nice crunchy texture.
Overall, the food was good but far from great. Aside from the tea leaf salad, there wasn’t anything special about Burma SuperStar. This place is way over-hyped. I would not wait in line for 30 minutes again to eat here – and am shocked that people would wait for 2 hours!

BITE METER: Burma SuperStar – 3.0 bites (out of 5)

August 29, 2009

Loló restaurant – Lovin’ La Vida Loló

I was supposed to have dinner at Minako, but was greeted by a ‘closed for vacation’ sign upon arrival. So we walked around San Francisco's Mission district in search of something else to satisfy our appetites. Since Loló was on my list of restaurants to check out, we decided to give it a try. To my delight, it was full of unexpected surprises!

Loló is a tiny place (I later discovered a whole other room with a bar that’s hidden by a dark opening in the back). It has a fun and quirky vibe with a bit of retro mixed in – large metal spoons covering one wall, seagulls and motorcycle mirrors on another. And one thing you should definitely do is visit the bathroom (never thought I would say that). I was expecting a small, dark bathroom given the size of the front room. Let’s just say it’s not…

The food is also much more unique and has a broader range of flavors than traditional tapas restaurants. The flavors were bold and bright. I would describe the cuisine as New Latin American with an Asian and Mediterranean influence. The vibrant array of colors in the dishes also made the food as appealing to the eye as it was for the taste buds.
[Note: I didn’t have my camera and had to use my phone, so these photos do NO justice to the food. The dishes actually look MUCH more appetizing than they appear in these horrible cameraphone pictures.]

We ordered 9 different dishes, and my favorites were the Tacos Tropical and the Seafood Sope. They were INCREDIBLE!

Tacos Tropical - Damn good shrimp tacos! The crispy panko crust of the shrimp, the zest of the tropical relish, and the creaminess of the chipotle aioli…together created a wonderful explosion of flavors and textures in my mouth.
Seafood Sopes – The star of this dish was the rich seafood sauce of the shrimps, scallops, and green peppers. It captured the sweet essence of the sea, and was balanced by the pepper aioli. The red cabbage slaw was also a great complement.
Seared Scallops – The citrus fennel sauce looks like it’s going to be heavy, but it was light and refreshing. The slices of cucumber under the scallops also accentuated the coolness of the dish.
Duck Confit Tacos – A twist on Peking duck. I liked how thin the corn tortillas were and how they came out fresh and hot. The shredded duck was really oily, but it had good flavor.
Octopus Carpaccio – I can’t help but laugh when I think about this dish. The octopus is sliced so thin that it’s virtually invisible (especially under the dim lighting of the front room). So when this dish came out, we thought it was just a sauce and sat waiting for the rest of the dish to come out. The person who brought our food didn’t speak English, so he just shrugged when we asked what it was. Finally, our waiter told us it was the octopus carpaccio and the octopus was already on the plate. So funny! The pepper flakes overpowered the octopus, so I couldn't taste much beyond pepper and smoke.
Pistachio Encrusted Salmon – The wasabi cream and unagi sauce gave this dish an interesting Asian flair. The flavors worked well, and it came out at the perfect temperature -- hot and crispy on the outside while nicely rare on the inside.
We also had the baked brie, the heirloom tomato salad with feta mousse, and the chocolate fondue for dessert. They were good, but not particularly memorable. I also want to mention their reasonably priced wine list. The average price per bottle was about $40. We enjoyed a bottle of the Chateau de Tours, Cote du Rhone.

Although we ate a ton of food and had dessert, we still headed over to Bi-Rite Creamery for ice cream after dinner (oink, oink!). It was in the neighborhood and I’ve heard so much hype about it. When we arrived, there was a line that extended down the block and around the corner. I thought to myself 'this ice cream better be amazing' if I’m going to wait in this long line. Fortunately, the line moved relatively quickly and the ice cream was delicious! They had an impressive selection of creative flavors – I must have tried about 10 different ones between the sampling and our carefully coordinated orders. Their celebrated salted caramel ice cream was already sold out, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out because I enjoyed the other flavors so much. My favorites of the night include the brown sugar with ginger caramel swirl, the roasted banana, and the malted vanilla with peanut brittle and milk chocolate pieces. (The only flavor that I didn’t like was the mint chip – it had a strong menthol taste). I also appreciate that Bi-Rite uses local and organic ingredients.

Do I think Bi-Rite is better than Mitchell’s Ice Cream? It’s a very tough call...Bi-Rite's flavors are more gourmet and unique, but I like Mitchell’s just a tinsy bit more because their ice cream is creamier and has a more home-made feel to it. However, both places offer such a completely different variety of flavors that my recommendation would be to choose the place based on what type of flavor you’re craving that day. You can’t go wrong with either place!

BITE METER:
Loló – 4.0 bites (out of 5)
Bi-Rite Creamery – 4.5 bites (out of 5)

August 23, 2009

Home cookin' in Houston

Nothing tastes as good as a meal that has been made with love by family and friends. Below are a few of the tasty delights that I had from my weekend in Houston.

Serrano ham and brie crostini topped with a fried quail egg over a cauliflower puree – a scrumptious and sophisticated “snack” prepared by S after my flight.
A southern style feast at N and Q’s home. My sister caught the grouper herself and prepared it two ways: blackened and with a zesty mango salsa; while my brother-in-law grilled 3 racks of spicy honey bbq ribs.
However, my heart belongs to my parents' cooking. I always feel so happy and comforted by their food. Some of my favorite dishes include soy and honey glazed quail, jumbo prawns in sweet tomato sauce, braised pork and eggs in caramelized sauce, while B especially loves my mom’s fried rice (pictured).

August 20, 2009

*17 restaurant - Execution is Key

Coincidentally, it was also Restaurant Week in Houston (HRW). My friend, S, wanted to check out *17 restaurant since they now have a new chef. I also wanted to go back for sentimental reasons, which makes it even more unfortunate that this experience was so lackluster.

The red damask walls and sleek strands of crystals dangling from the ceiling gave the dining room a warm, luxurious feel. Our waitress showed great enthusiasm for wine and food, and their HRW menu was intriguing (more creative than most of the other restaurants’). If only the execution of the food had been on par with these other elements, this would have been an outstanding meal.

Since S and I split all of our dishes, I’ll list everything below with a short description.

Amuse bouche: Garlic Ice Cream Float with ginger ale
Definitely an interesting way to start a meal. The float was light and fluffy with just a soft hint of garlic.

First Course:


Coastal Napolean: fried green tomato/ gulf lump crab/ *17 roumalade/ micro greens
A delicate dish with flaky wafers separating the crabmeat. The mustard seeds added a subtle complexity to the creamy roumalade. I wish the crabmeat had been sweet instead of bland, that would have really elevated this dish.

Black Angus Dumpling: braised ribeye/sho mai.dipping sauce
The dumpling wrappers had a nice, silky texture, but flavor of the meat got lost in the extremely salty sauce. Second Course:

De-constructed Beef Wellington: Seared tenderloin/ foie gras/ roasted radish/ bordelaise/ wild mushrooms
This dish would have been good had it not been overcooked -- the tenderloin was dry and the foie gras was so shriveled up that I could hardly taste it (what a waste of foie!)
Fried Quail & Waffles: tomatoes and okra/ maple reduction/ pepper gelee
This was the item that had caught my eye when I had originally skimmed the HRW menus. Sadly, it was the most disappointing course of the evening. The fried quail was dry and under-seasoned, and the waffled tasted like it had been made yesterday. The pepper gelee was the only bright component of the dish – it packed an unexpected punch.
Third Course:

Masumoto Peach Souffle: creme anglaise/ peach chips
I liked the playfulness of the soufflé floating in the crème anglaise instead of the usual crème anglaise being poured inside the soufflé, however, the consistency of the soufflé was off -- it was more like an angel food cake. The peach chips were tart and crunchy (I wonder if Trader Joe’s sells anything like this...it'd make a great snack).

Strawberry Panna Cotta: rhubarb compote/ almond tuile
The panna cotta was probably the only thing that was done right the whole night. It was subtle sweetness from the strawberry and had a lovely creamy texture.

White Ganache and Dark Chocolate Cake: espresso ice cream/ peanut powder/ caramel sauce
This dessert was way too sweet (even for me) and the caramel sauce was overkill. The espresso ice cream with the powdered peanuts was delicious though – they should have had just those two items as the dessert.
Note: We had a complimentary third dessert because I had mentioned that our entrees were “a bit dry” (yes, I was being polite) when our waitress asked what we thought of the food. As I said, the service was great, it was the execution that was the problem here.

BITE METER: *17 restaurant – 2.0 bites (out of 5)

August 19, 2009

Sensing - Celebrity Name But No Personality

I went to Sensing yesterday for Boston Restaurant Week. I was hoping this place would be good since it is associated with Chef Guy Martin (of the famed Grand Vefour in Paris), but I was also skeptical since 'satellite' restaurants of celebrity chefs are often disappointing shells, lacking the personality and brilliance of their creators. Unfortunately, my skeptism was correct.

Walking in, I immediately *felt* like I was in a hotel restaurant. Yes, Sensing is inside of a hotel, but given the starpower behind the restaurant, they should have been able to invest more in the decor. It felt like I was in a cheesy Ikea imitation of a nice restaurant. The funny thing was that bathrooms (located outside of the restaurant) felt nicer than the restaurant! Maybe that's a testament to quality of The Fairmont Hotel, however, you'd think they would set standards for the restaurants inside their hotel.

I started with an heirloom tomato salad topped with caramelized pine nuts and a basil-ginger dressing. I love heirloom tomatoes, and this salad made me very happy. The flavors were well balanced - the sweetness of the caramelized pine nuts offset the acidity from the tomatoes. The fresh basil also added another layer of depth to the flavors. The various tastes and textures all complemented one another.


For my entree, I had the pan fried halibut over mussels, chorizo, shiitake and cranberry beans with a preserved lemon vinaigrette drizzled on top. Our waitress also gave me this big bowl of broth with cherry tomatoes and tofu. Oddly, she couldn't really tell me what to do with it, so I just assumed I was supposed to pour it on top of my dish. The fish could have been cooked slightly less, but I was satisfied with my dish overall. The chorizo and cranberry beans gave the dish a hearty feel, while the lemon vinaigrette brightened it up. I'm glad I poured the broth over my dish, otherwise the fish and other components would have tasted too dry.

B ordered the cod steamed in lemongrass with seasonal vegetables in a coconut-grapefruit foam. Our waitress said it was the restaurant's "signature" dish and stays on their menu year-round, but I call it a 'disaster' dish. The entire thing was completely overcooked - the cod was dry and flavorless, the vegetables were wilted and rubbery. I am shocked that they would boast about this dish. Maybe they cook so many of these dishes that they no longer pay attention to it...who knows.

I had a financier cake with an assortment of sorbets for dessert. This was my worst course of the night, and a rare occassion in which I did not finish every bite of my dessert. The financier cake tasted like stale almond cake. The "sorbets" (which were actually gelatos) were just ok - the strawberry was nice and refreshing, the cookies and cream was mediocre, and the lime was just weird. The waitress told me the lime sorbet was coconut, yet it was green, tasted like lime, and had no resemblance of coconut. Although staff was nice, they didn't know very much about the food and lacked professionalism - the waitress actually walked away from the table next to us while they were ordering their wine in mid-sentence! The service was quite clumsy and definitely nothing like what you would expect from a 'nice' restaurant.

BITE METER: Sensing - 2.0 bites (out of 5)

August 15, 2009

Napa Valley in August

B and I headed up to Napa with some friends to take advantage of the perks that came with our new Goldeneye wine club membership – free tastings at their sister wineries. We’d been to Duckhorn before (great merlots), so we decided to give Paraduxx a try. But first, we needed to get some food into our systems!

We had lunch at Bottega Restaurant. I had wanted to try it after a friend gave it high praises, so I had made reservations as soon as we planned to go to Napa. However after watching the latest episode of Top Chef Masters (TCM) a few days before our trip, I had almost canceled our reservations. Chiarello’s display of his big, nasty ego left a very bad taste in my mouth, and I didn’t want to support someone like that. However, since the recommendation came from a trusted foodie friend, I decided to give Bottega a try and hope that “reality" television editing made Chiarello seem much worse than he really is.

The restaurant is hidden in the back corner of a strip of other restaurants and shops, so it was a little hard to find. Walking up, I noticed their huge patio shaded by a bright orange awning and wished I had known to request outdoor seating with my reservation (of course, it was already filled). Fortunately, the inside of their restaurant was also quite pleasant and we got a table by the window. Bottega had a rustic yet contemporary feel to it – exposed brick walls, high ceilings, large black metal fixtures.

First up was the salmon tartare and halibut crudo. I was immediately impressed by the presentation – it came on a huge pink salt block. The salmon tartar was good, but didn’t stand out. I enjoyed the silky texture of the fresh halibut, but found the strong licorice/anise flavor of the fennel seed topping to overpower the delicate fish.
Next was the ‘polenta under glass’. I have never seen polenta come in a jar before so I thought the presentation was interesting. The polenta was rich and creamy, and the earthy flavors of the caramelized sautéed mushrooms made a perfect complement.
For my entrée, I had the chitarra-cut spaghetti with white gulf prawns. This dish tasted exactly like I had hoped it would. The hand-cut spaghetti had the springy texture of homemade pasta. The tomato-fennel sauce captured the rich, seafood flavor of the prawn heads, without being overwhelmingly fishy or cloying. The portion size was also just right – just enough to not leave me wanting more, but also didn’t leave me feeling stuffed (a difficult thing for me to balance given my large appetite!)
What *did* put me over the top was dessert! A warm, milk chocolate cake topped with crème anglaise and hazelnut toffee. This dessert is made-to-order so we literally got it right out of the oven. The cake was warm and fluffy like a dense soufflé, and it had that gooey molten center that I dream about. The crunchy texture of the hazelnut toffee provided a nice contrast.
The service was great. Our waitress was helpful and efficient – she even timed our dessert and brought our check out in advance so we could make our wine tasting appointment on time. Chiarello didn’t walk around the restaurant that day, so I can’t say whether he comes off as cocky in person as he did on TCM. However, I will say that his food did taste as good as they looked on the show. I will be back to Bottega.

After stuffing ourselves, we made our way over to Paraduxx. The winery has a much more modern look to it than its sister wineries. We were escorted to the back patio for our tasting. The area was set up well - only a few tables with sleek black Adirondack-like chairs, shaded with big umbrellas. It was a great atmosphere to sit back and drink lots of wine. We tasted 8 wines, each accompanied by a ‘postcard’ of the particular wine’s label filled with information and tasting notes on the back. I like the concept of their wine labels – different stamps with pictures of ducks. Paraduxx specializes in zinfandels, and we tasted their current releases as well as their limited production wines. I really liked their zins – they much more body than typical zins because of their higher cabernet sauvignon content, and you could taste many different layers of fruit and spice.
B and I purchased the 2004 Paraduxx because that was our favorite. Here is a Wine News review that describes the wine better than I ever could: “Dense inky purple hue. Spicy scents of powdered chocolate, nuts and earth. Dusty entry with spicy terroir notes that showcase raspberry flavors and echoes of walnut and mocha from this unusual blend of zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Rich and coating on the close with ripe berries and oak-laced tannins. 92 points”
We then went to Salvestrin Winery, a tiny family-owned winery that’s been around for almost 100 years. The tasting room manager was really friendly. We had the room to ourselves, and he sat at our table talking to us for quite a while. He also gave us recommendations for other small wineries, which I noted for my next trip to Napa. That’s what I love about the smaller wineries – the personal dialog and attention. Salvestrin makes more red wines, but I thought their 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc was the most interesting. It was bright and crisp, and had a very unique honeysuckle taste.

Believe it or not, we were hungry again. We had overheard people talking about Pizzeria Tra Vigne, so we decided to check it out. We immediately ordered a pitcher of strawberry lemonade to wake up our taste buds after all that heavy wine. We then had the chicken salad, the margherita pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil), and the ducati pizza (spicy Italian sausage, capicola, sun-dried tomatoes, mushroom, mozzarella, and tomato sauce). The food was just ok. The crusts should have been more crispy, and the margherita pizza was lacking that fresh mozzarella taste. At least the italian sausage on the ducati pizza had a good kick to it.

BITE METER:
Bottega Restaurant - 4.0 bites (out of 5)
Paraduxx Winery - 4.0 bites (out of 5)
Salvestrin Winery - 3.0 bites (out of 5)
Tra Vigne Pizzeria - 2.5 bites (out of 5)

August 01, 2009

Ogunquit, Maine

After too much time spent on airplanes the past few weeks, I decided to take a day trip to Ogunquit, Maine -- it's only a 1 1/2 hour drive from Boston. It was nice to get out of the city and be rejuvinated by the fresh ocean air. Ogunquit is a charming town right on the coast of Maine. I would highly recommend it for a casual day trip -- waterfront dining with good, well-priced seafood and a scenic walk along the coastline (Marginal Way). Our first stop was Barnacle Billy's. It was exactly what I was looking for -- a casual place where I could sit outside, munch on fresh seafood, and enjoy the view. It's located in the heart of Perkins Cove and overlooks a small dock. I started off with steamed Wellfleet clams...delicious! These clams were surprisingly large and juicy (I'd been disappointed by puny mussels and clams recently at other places. If they're not in season and you don't have a good supply, then don't serve them). Then came my lobster roll...the *best* lobster roll I've had to-date! The bun was nicely toasted, it was overflowing with fresh lobster, and the sweet flavor of the lobster wasn't overwhelmed by mayo. The fries also came out super hot and crispy, just like I like them. The only disappointing part of the meal was the crab roll, which B ordered. The crab roll was pretty bland, so I recommend you stick with the clams and lobster rolls. After lunch, we took a walk down Marginal Way. It's a cliff-top path along the rocky shore. The trail is a little over a mile long with several benches to sit and enjoy your surroundings along the way. I was surprised to see a huge, sprawling beach at the end of the path. I have found beaches in New England to be on narrow strips of sand, but this one was enormous and packed with people-- it felt like we were in Fort Lauderdale or something. I prefer the more quiet side of the path/town away from the crowds, near Perkins Cove. Tip: If you're in the Ogunquit area, you should also stop by Stonewall Kitchen. Their headquarters are in York, a neighboring town. It's fun to go through the flagship store and sample their specialty foods. I've always been a big fan of their Wild Maine Blueberry Jam. After lots of sampling, I also picked up some Red Pepper Jelly, Champagne Shallot Mustard, and Balsamic Fig Dressing -- I loved the unique and great flavor combinations of these items.

Bite Meter:
Barnacle Billy's - 3.5 bites (out of 5)